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Update June 9, 2006: Michelle breaks down on the stand at trial... read story

This story has reached national cable news and as you can imagine the coverage has been horrific. Last night this story was featured on right-winger Tucker Carlson's show.

A transgendered woman in prison is asking for the right to continue her hormones and continue her transition with sugery. Channel 7, and some other news sources, decided to sensationalize the news story with transphobic undertones including phrases like "a man's outrageous request." Channel 7 refused to refer to Michelle by her new name and by the appropriate pronouns even though the AP journalistic style guide suggests doing so. Shame on Randy Price and the Channel 7 news team.

Please contact Channel 7 and kindly request that from now on they should use the pronouns and name that people prefer, and never sensationalize reports about transgendered people.

Now the HRC has endorsed Joe Leiberman rather than the true progressive running against him - Ned Lamont. Howie Klein of the Huffingtonpost.com has taken his HRC award off of his mantle and here is why...

As an alternate delegate I am still hoping I get the chance to vote at Saturday's democratic convention. If I do get the chance I will be voting for Deval Patrick for Governor and Andrea Silbert for Lt. Governor. Andrea was recently endorsed by Felix Arroyo and the DFA.

I encourage anyone who is a Deval delegate to vote for Deval on BOTH ballots. Do not give your vote to the candidate who has swarmed your mailbox asking you to compromise and vote for him on the first ballot.

People have asked me why, if I seem to support socialism, I continue to be involved in politics as usual. I do not have an easy answer for that except that I hope to be compassionate and share my opinions with anyone who is willing to listen. Maybe at the Democratic convention I will meet a friend or two and we can exchange ideas and have a great conversation. I know that one of the "capitalistic politicians as usual" will become our next governor, and contrary to the common argument of those who challenge my actions, I believe that there IS a huge difference between having a republican governor as compared to a democrat. Sue me but I do believe in choosing the lesser of two evils if that is our only choice while at the same time doing everything I can to revolutionize the system all together. Take for example the recent cut in funding for queer youth by the Romney administration. I doubt Deval would do that. And the list of similarly harmful budget cuts and policies goes on and on. I try to actively reduce suffering as much as possible and I believe that having Deval as our governor, although not the perfect situation, will reduce the amount of suffering in this state more than any other candidate. Meanwhile I will continue to voice my concerns about the "systems as usual" that our society utilizes and I will continue to fight for radical change.

The Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay rights organization in the country, has endorsed a Republican in California costing the organization at least a million dollars in lost donations. This is not the first time HRC has endorsed republicans. They think it is wise to endorse republicans who are "pro gay" regardless of the person's stance on issues like war, health care, and women's rights. HRC fails to recognize that all of our struggles are intertwined and that issues like the war and women's rights are queer issues too. LGBT people need to wake up and realize that HRC does not represent our struggle for justice. When will the HRC let go of its harmful obsession with presenting the queer community as mainstream? Click Here for the full story...

Pride is just a few weeks away, and we need your help! We want to make a lasting impression at this year's celebration. Our float will showcase the umbrella theme of unity and all of the issues that are important to us including solidarity with immigrants, resisting occupation and war, resisting corporate take-over of pride, and being proud of who we are as queer/lgbtqi people.

So far we have joined forces with the International Action Center/Stonewall Warriors and Women's Fight Back Network. If you or your organization like to help us design our unity float it is not to late!

It's the kind of hypocrisy where the only thing you can do is shake your head in bewilderment at the fact that people can live with themselves while being so damned two-faced. Condolezza Rice, apologist for the war in Iraq, designated black spokesperson for the neo-conservative agenda, and the woman who bought thousand dollar shoes while the people of New Orleans were under water, will be speaking at Boston College today.

Moments like these betray the true colors of the Vatican. True to form, the Catholic hierarchy has shown that they are more concerned with policing people's sexuality than the social justice tradition of the Church that they disingenously pay lip service to. Last year, BC banned an AIDS fundraiser sponsored by its LGBT advocacy group, but can tolerate a war criminal and a liar. What morality! What "respect for life!"

Can you imagine if Boston College invited an openly queer speaker to campus? If BC invited someone from Catholics for Choice? Cardinal O'Malley would have an aneurism. There would be all of this self-righteous pontification (literally) about how the speaker's "lifestyle" contradicted church teachings--blah, blah, blah, gag me with a spoon. But now that someone whose policies contradict the Roman Church's supposed teachings on social justice is speaking, we hear not one peep of protest from the Archdiocese. Not one nanosecond of introspection from the Vatican-programmed automatons that run BC.

Don't let anyone tell you that the Roman Church's politics are "hard to pin down" or "don't fit into traditional categories of right or left." The politics of the Vatican are reactionary to the core. Sure, they'll talk about social justice; but it is incidents like this that show their real priorities.

The results from GLSEN's school climate survey were released. As expected students in schools with gay straight alliances and comprehensive policies felt more included and safer. Over a third (37.8%) of students experienced physical harassment at school on the basis of sexual orientation and more than a quarter (26.1%) on the basis of their gender expression. Read more>

On Sunday, April 30, four young Asian Americans were attacked by the Quincy Police. The Chinese Progressive Association and local Asian American organizations are calling a Community Meeting to discuss the incident -- and to share information on experiences of police misconduct. We invite Quincy residents and concerned community members to please join us!

Background:-----------In early Sunday morning, April 30, Chinese Progressive Association organizer Karen Chen and three of her friends were brutally assaulted by the Quincy police, while coming home from a Chinese engagement party. All are young Chinese Americans.

While pulled over at a curb next to Super 88, they were approached by a state trooper. As they spoke with the trooper, a Quincy police car pulled up. Without warning, a police officer jumped out and pepper-sprayed all three directly in the eyes at close range. Karen, who is just over five feet tall, was tackled by three male officers, receiving a black eye, swollen face, and bruises. Another friend was knocked unconscious.

Throughout the incident, the police repeatedly yelled at the victims, used profanities, and called them names. Four innocent Asian Americans were taken to the police station in handcuffs and falsely charged with resisting arrest and/or disorderly conduct.

At the first support committee meeting for the victims, the following initial demands were proposed:

1) Drop or dismiss all charges against the Quincy 4!2) Compensate the victims for lost wages and other damages3) Suspend the police involved without pay4) Public apology from the Quincy Police Department5) Open and public investigations into police misconduct6) Diversify the police force and implement sensitivity training7) Public review over the use of force by police

* Stop the War Against the Black, Latin@, Arab & Muslim Communities * Justice & Reparations for Hurricane Katrina/Rita Survivors * Full Legalization for all Immigrants- Stop Deportations * Stop the Attacks on Undocumented & Immigrant Workers & Students * No Militarization of the Border * No Border Fences and Racism * Stop Racial Profiling & Police Brutality * Stop the War on Women & Lesbian, Gay, Bi,Trans People * Equal, Quality Education is a Right

The Boston Rosa Parks Human Rights Day Committee and the Troops Out Now Coalition encourage all who are opposed to the criminal war and occupation of Iraq and who are united in their opposition to Poverty, Racism, Sexism & War to join with those who will be protesting inside and outside of the Boston College graduation ceremonies on May 22 where the featured speaker will be Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

To date, well over 100,000 Iraqi people and more than 2400 U.S. soldiers have died in a war that was sold to the U.S. public with lies but in reality was all about the imperialist re-conquest of the Middle East by the U.S. in order to control the regions vast oil reserves. The country of Iraq has been plunged into chaos and violence, the direct result of a brutal occupation. It is important to note that it is not enough to target just one individual in this government. The war and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the threats against Venezuela, Iran, Cuba and other countries is the direct result of a political and economic system that seeks to dominate and control the world's natural resources. This was clearly laid out in the 1992 document entitled "Defense Planning Guidance" co-authored by former undersecretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz for the Pentagon and updated in 2002. This document declared that the U.S. would now dominate the world and that no power or combination of powers on earth should even attempt to challenge Washington's hegemony in any region.

Most recently, the Bush Administration, both parties in Congress and the corporate media are clamoring for a new war--against the people of Iran. This past March The London Telegraph reported that the Pentagon is placing forces and equipment capable of striking at 20 Iranian targets, most near heavily populated areas. These strikes could kill 10,000 people.

But it's not enough to just focus on the war and occupation of Iraq, we must draw attention to the devastating impact that this war has had on poor and working people, especially people of color, here at home.This past week Bush went on TV in response to the millions of immigrant workers and their supporters who have been demonstrating in cities across this country. Bush announced plans to militarize the border with Mexico by deploying 6,000 National Guard troops in addition to his plans to increase the number of Border Patrol agents from 9,000 to 12,000. This amounts to a military wall of death along the Mexican border. In other words, let immigrants die, like he left African Americans to drown and die on rooftops in the wake of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Instead of spending $1.9 billion dollars to construct a wall of death, Bush could rebuild state of the art levees that would provide a wall of life. Instead of spending all of this money to erect more walls and build more jails for immigrant workers and their children, he could use that money for housing for the displaced Katrina/Rita survivors being ruthlessly evicted by FEMA.

The $500 billion Pentagon budget, the $200+ billion spent on the war and the tax cuts for the rich is money that has been stolen from our communities. This money is needed for union jobs, housing, youth centers & programs, education, daycare centers, AIDS and health care. This money is needed to rebuild the Gulf Coast and compensate the survivors of Katrina/Rita for the criminal and racist neglect of the government. On May 22 we will address the root causes of violence in our communities and point the finger at the real perpetrators of this violence - state, local and federal government and their policies of racism and lethal hostility towards poor and working people. On May 22 we have the opportunity to show concretely that we are fighting to stop two wars-- the war abroad and the war at home against poverty, racism and sexism.

We will march and demonstrate, knowing that we cannot wait for politicians to stop the war at home & abroad--only the people, united against poverty, racism, sexism and war, mobilizing in the streets, can stop the violence, stop the war at home & abroad and bring the troops home.

As an alternate delegate to the upcoming democratic convention I have been deluged with mail and calls from candidates asking for my support. The worst, most slimy icky piece of mail came yesterday from the Gabrieli campaign.

The Gabrieli letter was disguised as a letter from a group of elected officials. They even made it look like they had their own stationary, but if you looked closely you could see gabrielli.org in small print. The fake stationary "A Message from Democratic Officials," even included some sort of code of arms looking graphic, and customized envelopes to further conceal the fact that this mailing was from the Gabrieli campaign.

The letter explained that all of the elected officials listed below (supposedly some of them support Deval & Reilly) supported the idea of having three candidates in the race, and that the democratic thing was to allow everyone to have a chance to run for governor.

What they were really saying was we know you support someone else, but we want you to compromise and vote for Gabrieli at the convention because he chose to enter the race late, and he needs the votes. My answer to that is HELL NO. In fact I will be actively campaigning against Gabrielli now because of that ridiculous fraud of a letter. I would be surprised if his tactic tricked any of the delegates into supporting him.

I am surprised to see Jarrett Barrios's name on this letter, and I wonder if these "special elected officials" knew they were going to be included in a mailing like this.

The Massachusetts Senate has eliminated funding for GLBT domestic violence services in the 2007 Budget.

Your help is needed, please make a simple call!

The Senate Budget was released Wednesday, May 17th and the Department of Public Health’s line item (4513-1000) was stripped of its language and funding for GLBT domestic violence. This funding has been in place since 1999 and is critical to the provision of services for GLBT victims.

Amendments must be filed by Friday (May 19th). Senator Jarrett Barrios will file an amendment to restore and expand funding, but it is critical that other Senators sign onto the amendment and support it or these life-saving services will be lost.

You do not need to speak directly to your Senator. Request to speak to them, but if they are not available, ask to speak with the Chief of Staff or someone who works with the budget. Your conversation needs to be only 2 – 4 minutes, just stating where you live, expressing your concern with the elimination of funding and your desire to have them sign onto the amendment. This call is VERY important and it is a VERY easy call to make. Your Senator WANTS to hear from you. If you would like a simple script of what you can say, one is included on the first page of the attached document.

All your Senator needs to do to sign-on is to call Barrios’ office by end of day Thursday.

To find out who is your Senator, go to the MassEquality website and click on the “How Legislators Voted” selection. Then type in your address. It will provide you with your Senator’s name and phone number.

Here's a script, if you need it:

Sample Script:“Hi, my name is ___________ and I am a constituent of Senator ______________. I live at ___(address)____________ , in ___(city)___. I want to let the Senator know that I am distressed that the Senate Ways and Means Budget for 2007 eliminates funding for GLBT domestic violence. It is critical that services be provided to this population. I want to urge the Senator to sign onto Senator Barrios’ amendment for GLBT domestic violence. I would also appreciate a follow-up from your office, letting me know if he was able to do so.” (then provide your email or phone #). “Thank you and I hope the Senator will fight for this important issue.”

Immigration and undocumented workers: The current plan the Bush Regime is offering is to spend Billions of dollars militarizing the border along Mexico and creating a guest worker program that can eventually lead to Citizenship. The guest worker program is not amnesty as some are claiming and it is not a moderate’s solution. It IS Indentured Servitude. This program requires them to pay back taxes, current taxes, for 5 years, on extremely low wages. The program is like slaves trying to buy their freedom or serfs trying buy their freedom. Haven’t we profited enough off of these workers?! Let’s not forget that companies continue to build factories (sweat shops) along the border and send recruiters into Mexico and urge Mexicans to cross the border to work for them. And it is not just Bush’s Regime that is the problem. US Foreign policy has always been about power and profit. Not matter what is happening on this hemisphere the US has to control everything. Whether it is militarizing the border of Mexico, leading coup’s in South American countries, colonizing Puerto Rico and Haiti and exploiting workers there. The problem is easy to see, Imperialism, capitalist imperialism. The answer is not a “Democratic President” or a “Liberal Congress.” The answer is Socialism. Stop exploitation, stop greed, stop border patrols, stop imperialism.

US Embargo on Cuba: Is this really necessary? Is this embargo accomplishing anything? Cuba continues to grow economically albeit slower with the embargo but still record growth every year. It is nothing but a clear example of US Capitalism and Imperialism and the need to control this hemisphere. Before you start demonizing Cuba with US propaganda remember that after 9/11 Cuba prepared hundreds of doctors to fly over here and help. Remember during and after Katrina Cuba was again prepared to send hundreds of doctors and supplies to help with relief work. And yet we continue to spend billions of dollars a year enforcing an embargo.

Venezuela: Has recently been labeled by the Bush Regime as a threat and yet Venezuela provides home heating oil for extremely prices to low income families to Massachusetts, Maine and other states. The Socialist government in Venezuela does something extremely scary to the corporate few here in America, they provide everyone with quality health care. How long before we occupy Venezuela? How long before we embargo Venezuela?

War on Drugs: If the Regimes that have been office are serious about ending drug use in America, they would arrest the corporate fat cats who manufacture and sell chemicals that are used in making drugs to countries like Colombia. Instead they arrest and criminalize the end user. Enforcing unfair prison sentence’s and revoking the rights of thousands of citizens everyday that are sent to prisons for non-violent crimes. This war on drugs is a war on the American people, the undocumented people, and especially people of color here in the US. It is another tool to keep the population divided and weak so the wealthy and ruling class and continue to rule and gain wealth.

Division, Race, and Economics: Black schools have become pipelines to black prisons. Black people make up approximately 11% percent of the population and yet make up 49% of the prison population; most of them in prison for unfair mandatory minimum sentencing and non-violent crimes. Black people are arrested by white cops, prosecuted by white attorneys before white juries. The poor working class has been pushed so far from middle class and upper class that race and color don’t matter. All poor working people are seen as criminals while all poor people regardless of color are being exploited for the wealthy. This is just another tool to keep the population, the majority divided and down.

Women and Queers: Women are slowly losing access to health care and reproductive freedoms. Queers are consistently being denied access to marriage even in MA the threat of losing marriage is real and with that loss comes financial devastation to many working families. They are denied safe space in schools, funding for suicide prevention and sex education, they denied jobs and forced to assimilate into a hetero-normative society hiding and denying themselves freedom of expression. The point here is that the most intimate parts of freedom are systematically being taken away and denied to these people. Rights to their bodies, expression, jobs, fair compensation, who they love, how they love. Its beyond a way on culture it is a war on the freedoms that make these groups who and what they are. It is division!

I could go on, this is I know only the tip of the iceberg. I was re-inspired and motivated this weekend when I attended the Workers World Party conference “Rebirthing Socialism” this past weekend in NYC. We are quick to complain, but we seldom offer a solution. I believe that Socialism is the solution. The solution is not the democratic party, I refuse to sit on my knees being fed table scraps by democrats to pacify the burning pains of oppression and exploitation. I refuse to sit ideally by why I watch so many people imprisoned for non-violent crimes and crimes that were never committed. I refuse to watch my sisters’ loose freedoms to their own bodies. I refuse to accept propaganda meant to scare me into line by the corporations that make up this government. I refuse to watch trans people and gender variant people murdered at 90 plus a year (and that number is under-reported and under studied). I refuse to accept that the wealthiest country in the world cannot provide HEALTH CARE and EDUCATION and HOUSING and FOOD to all of its residents when I see other less wealthy countries with all of those things. I refuse to be divided. I refuse to complain without offering solution. I believe socialism is that solution. All of our struggles are related and we must not be divided.

On Saturday May 6, in pouring rain, hundreds of resilient queer youth marched through the streets of Boston. Youth pride is inspiring because it is mostly free from corporate influence, and includes a great combination of activism and partying. I think perhaps Boston Pride could learn a thing or two from Youth Pride. The youth are speaking out for themselves, coming together in pride and solidarity, and celebrating their unique place in this world as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, drag queen, drag king, goth, twink, butch, femme, etc. youth. There's no Budweiser floats, no airlines and banks, just activism chants, music, and hand-made signs. There's no sea of red white and blue to be found, there are thousands of rainbows. Click Here to view 95 inspiring photographs from Youth Pride!

Whether or not you are vegetarian you will be appalled at the amount of unnecessary cruelty Kentucky Friend Chicken inflicts upon millions of chickens every day. Watch AL Sharpton lead you through an informative and chilling video. Sign the petition in solidarity with drag queen Lady Bunny and the Dalai Lama today ;)

Saturday, May 13 Youth Pride Festivities: 11 AM to 4 PM at the Castle at the Park Plaza (Arlington Street and Columbus Avenue) with vendors, speakers, music, dj, etc. Participants will be marching in a parade if the weather permits.

Romney has changed his mind and will not abolish the Governor's Commission on Gay & Lesbian Youth - but he warned that he did not want government money spent on Youth Pride Festivals featuring drag queens. Yes, drag queens are so incredibly dangerous. In fact, they have launched a very organized and well-funded war against the american family.

In reality for the past two years the youth pride festival has been funded by The Friends of the Governor's Commission on Gay & Lesbian Youth - Not the actual commission.

The queer youth community must not hunker down in fear, and "tone" down any shows or festivals. Assimilation and silence is what got us in this mess to begin with.

BREAKING NEWS: Romney just abolished the nation's first Governor's Commission on Gay & Lesbian Youth established 14 years ago by Republican Governor Weld who was concerned about the attempted suicide rates of LGBT youth. What affect this will have on money, organizing, etc. is yet to be determined. We will keep you updated as more information flows in.

Attempted suicide rate by LGBT youth has risen dramatically during Romney's administration and is now up to 5 times higher than straight youth.

Perhaps this emphasizes the need for a community based LGBT youth advocacy group/coalition.

This is a sleazy shallow poltically motivated attack on LGBT Youth just days before the now ex-commission puts on Massachusetts Youth Pride.

It is time to support the queer youth of Massachusetts! For every dollar you send to fight for gay marriage you damn well better send a dollar to an organization that supports and advocates for LGBT youth.

If you don't know who Rachel Maddow is, let me tell you! She is queer, very queer - and in the mainstream media. Each night you can catch her arguing with Tucker Carlson on MSNBC at 11pm. She also has a two hour radio show on Air America from 7am-9am every weekday.

Rachel's keynote speech was important for the gay community of Massachusetts to hear. She spoke about our need to fight back against an administration that ignores the rule of law, rather than wasting our time responding to attacks from Rick Santorum. She said we should be proud to be different, proud to be a minority, and not obsess over assimilating. "We will never be normal," she yelled.

After the event Rachel talked with Jenn and I about how she agrees that if we look at all of our struggles through the singular lense of gay marriage it will hurt us as a community, we must broaded our scope and form coalitions.

Grace Sterling Stowell also gave an inspiring speech in which she encouraged the audience to think about the needs of LGBT Youth and the Trans Community who are so often forgotten by the mainstream gay community.

Larry Kessler also received an award. Larry has been an anti-war activist, founded organizations to feed the hunger and shelter the poor, and founded the Aids Action Committee of Massachusetts.

Overall the speeches and awardees were as queer as it gets. I was very happy that the Gay & Lesbian Bar Association made an effort to learn and hear from the grassroots activists in our community.